GG: 401 Homecoming Queens
by me11
Summary: The first installment in my verson of S4. LL ship mostly, also LD and Rundecided
1. Teaser

4.01 - "Homecoming Queens"  
  
A/N: This is my version of Season 4 of Gilmore Girls. I'm assuming that Rory finished school in May (since that's when the finale was) and have them returning from Europe in June. This story is AU based on the actual show though. Each story will be a different episode, but won't be written in script form (it's a pain to read a scripted fanfic).  
  
Rating: probably PG, PG-13 to be safe (I think the B-word is in there somewhere).  
  
Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with the show Gilmore Girls, the creator, writers, or cast and crew. No monetary profits are being made on my part.  
  
Teaser  
  
June arrived quickly in Stars Hollow, and on Friday the 27th, the Hartford airport braced itself for the impact of a Gilmore reunion.  
  
Sookie St. James was waiting at the gate for international arrivals. To the casual observer she appeared to be just another person waiting for a loved one to return. Lane Kim stood beside her, holding a thermos full of coffee, maintaining a considerable distance from the woman who was prone to exuberant displays when she was excited; Lane was afraid she'd get knocked over or something of the like.  
  
"Flight number 743 from London, Heathrow has now arrived," an annoyingly perky voice chirped over the intercom. At the announcement, Lane and Sookie squealed in excitement. The already enthusiastic Sookie seemed to up her excitement a notch, startling passers-by.  
  
A few minutes later, Lorelai and Rory Gilmore stepped out of the gate and into the baggage area. Upon seeing Sookie and Lane they waved and rushed over to greet them.  
  
Hugs were given all around, and in true Gilmore Style, everyone began talking at once.  
"So, how much fun did you have?" Lane asked.  
  
"Tons," Rory replied.  
  
"Is that coffee?" Lorelai made a grab for the thermos in Lane's hand.  
  
"Are you drunk?" Sookie laughed, watching as Lorelai almost fell over reaching for the thermos.  
  
"I told her that those airline drinks pack a whollop!" Rory rolled her eyes.  
  
"Did not," Lorelai pouted, once again reaching for the thermos.  
  
"Let's get your bags and you can tell us all about your trip," Sookie suggested, leading them to the two huge backpacks that were revolving around on the conveyer belt.  
  
Rory looked at the thermos in Lane's hand. "Is that -"  
  
"Coffee from Luke's," Lane grinned. She quickly yelped in surprise as both Rory and Lorelai pounced.  
  
"Hey!" Rory cried indigently.  
  
Lorelai sniffed and took a sip of the coffee. She scowled. "This isn't Luke's coffee!"  
  
"Why'd you lie?" Rory seemed insulted.  
  
"I didn't," Lane replied defensively.  
  
"Ceasar made it," Sookie explained. "Luke doesn't get back from his cruise for another two weeks. Rory pouted and grabbed her huge bag, hoisting it up on her shoulder as Lane did the same with Lorelai's.  
  
"Ready?" Sookie nudged Lorelai in the arm, and gesturing to where Rory and Lane had headed to the parking payment stalls.  
  
"Yeah, sorry," Lorelai stuttered, waking up from the stupor she'd been in since she heard the word cruise. She stared momentarily down at the coffee in her thermos, an unreadable expression on her face. She them hurried and caught up to the others.  
  
Roll Credits. 


	2. Act One

Act 1  
  
Saturday morning came, after a long evening of story telling, and passed. Rory woke up at two pm and brewed up a pot of coffee.  
  
"Do I smell coffee?" Lorelai asked groggily as she shuffled into the kitchen, rubbing at her eyes. Rory wordlessly handed her a mug. Lorelai poured herself some, up to the brim, and then carefully sipped up the meniscus that had formed.  
  
"I'm still tired," Rory whined, setting her head down onto the table.  
  
"Damn jet lag," Lorelai sighed in response.  
  
"It's so wrong."  
  
"Should be illegal."  
  
"They should make a pill."  
  
"You should invent one; a special get over jet lag pill," Lorelai continued their banter.  
  
"I'd make a fortune," Rory quipped.  
  
"Which we could use to buy a ton of coffee to wake us up from our jet lag."  
  
"Maybe this new pill I'm inventing should be 95% concentrated coffee beans," Rory suggested.  
  
"Yeah." Lorelai drifted off. Then: "I wand Luke's coffee Rory! Why did he leave without teaching Ceasar his magic coffee recipe?"  
  
"I don't think that Luke actually has a coffee recipe mom," Rory said, her tone betraying her amusement. "I and know that he doesn't have a magic one."  
  
"Really? Then why does his coffee always taste the best? Why does it blow all of the other coffees right out of the water. or is it out of the competition? Which is it?" without waiting for Rory to answer she continued. "Argh! I don't know, I can't think straight. It's withdrawal; Luke's coffee withdrawal!"  
  
"Calm down, it's not withdrawal," Rory rolled her eyes and poured herself another cup. "And I don't know why his coffee is so great, the best even. Maybe he just has the magic touch."  
  
"Yeah, well now Nicole's getting the magic touch," Lorelai hugged, oblivious to Rory's raised eyebrows. "She gets Luke's coffee while I'm stuck with second rate. You know all of that coffee we had in Europe wasn't even as good as his; and they say that Italians like their coffee. Malarkey!!"  
  
"Oy with the poodles already," Rory quipped and Lorelai nodded furiously in agreement. "The food was good though."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You're cranky when you have Luke withdrawal," Rory sighed after a moment of silence.  
  
"Luke coffee withdrawal," Lorelai corrected.  
  
"Potato, potahto," Rory smirked. "I just hope that Luke gets home soon, you know, so he can magically touch you."  
  
Lorelai sputtered. "Dirty!" Rory smiled.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hi Ceasar," Rory greeted the man as they entered the diner for dinner later that day.  
  
"Hey you tow, how was your trip?" he asked.  
  
"Great," Rory replied politely; Lorelai just grunted. "Ignore her, Ceasar. She's in withdrawal, misses Luke."  
  
"Luke's coffee!" Lorelai cried, tired of having to correct Rory about that. Ceasar and Rory smiled at her annoyance.  
  
"So, food?" he asked them.  
  
"And coffee!" they replied in unison. Ceasar took their orders, burgers and fries, and went into the back to cook their food.  
  
"So what are we doing after dinner?" Lorelai asked Rory.  
  
"Well," Rory drained the last of her coffee. "I wanted to stop by Dean's and give him the souvenirs that I got for him and Lindsay."  
  
"Okay, I'll go to the Photo Hut and get our film developed," Lorelai smirked. "I'm going to make Kirk do the one hour development."  
  
"But we have at least twenty rolls of film," Rory cried.  
  
"I know," she smirked again. "I may even have him make slides!"  
  
"You're mean," Rory shook her head and then thanked Ceasar who'd just brought them their food.  
  
They of course ate quickly and then set off on their separate ways. "I'll see you later Hun," Lorelai waved as she walked to the Photo Hut. Rory waved back.  
  
* * *  
  
When Rory got to the Forrester's she was glad to see that Dean's car was in the driveway.  
  
"Rory," cried Clara, opening the door. Rory gave the little girl a hug.  
  
"Hi Clara, how are you?" Rory asked.  
  
"I'm okay," Clara answered her. "Dean said that you went on vacation. Did you have fun?"  
  
"Yeah, I had a great time," Rory smiled at her. "Oh, I got you this," she pulled a book out of her bag.  
  
"Wow, thanks Rory," Clara smiled. "I love Harry Potter!"  
  
"I thought you did, look inside."  
  
Clara looked inside the front cover and let out a small squeal. "The author was signing last week in London so I had to get you a copy. It's the new one, I hope you don't have one already," Rory said. Clara shook her head to say that she didn't, and then hugged Rory again.  
  
"Is your brother here?" Rory asked her.  
  
"No, he's over at Lindsay's house," Clara said.  
  
"Alright, maybe I'll go over there," Rory turned to go. "You let me borrow that book when you're done with it!"  
  
"I will, thanks again Rory," Clara waved good-bye to her and shut the door. Rory headed to Lindsay's.  
  
Commercial Break. 


	3. Act Two

Act 2  
  
Then next morning, Lorelai dragged herself into Rory's room where she found the youngest Gilmore sitting at her computer. "What's wrong?" Lorelai asked, noting the look on Rory's face.  
  
"Nothing," Rory said quickly, jumping up and heading to the door. "Want to go to Luke's?"  
  
"Sure, right after you tell me what's wrong with you," Lorelai raised an eyebrow in question.  
  
"I just," Rory sighed. "I got an email."  
  
"So."  
  
"From.from Jess."  
  
"Oh," Lorelai sounded surprised. "Is everything alright?"  
  
"I guess," Rory replied thoughtfully. "I mailed him back, told him about the trip and how I had meant it when I said it was over. He told me about his dad and why he left the way he did.said he was sorry."  
  
"So are you two okay now?" she asked Rory.  
  
"No, I don't think so," Rory shook her head sadly. "But maybe, later.it's over anyhow. But, Jess and I were friends before and hopefully we can eventually be friends again."  
  
"That's good hun," Lorelai hugged her daughter quickly. "I'm sure that Jess really wants that too."  
  
Neither said anything for a moment. "Well," Rory broke the uncomfortable, and rare, silence. "I'm hungry and could use some coffee."  
  
"Yeah," Lorelai exclaimed as they left for the diner. "I'm wasting away here!"  
  
They decided to walk to Luke's that day, and after countless people stopped them asking about their trip, they arrived at the diner a half an hour later. "Let's never walk again!" Lorelai huffed comically as she sprawled in her chair at a table by the window.  
  
"Agreed," Rory said, smiling at Caesar who brought them coffee and menus. "Thanks."  
  
"Blueberry pancakes today," he looked at them expectantly, not bothering to hand them the menus.  
  
The girls both nodded enthusiastically. "Could I get an extra topping on mine?" Lorelai asked.  
  
"Like what?" Caesar looked apprehensive; he knew what these people considered 'topping'.  
  
"Chocolate sprinkles?" Lorelai asked hopefully. Caesar shrugged his consent so she continued. "And could you have those sprinkles on a donut? Put the donut on the side of the pancakes?"  
  
"So you want pancakes and a sprinkle donut?" Caesar clarified.  
  
"No, I want pancakes with a donut topping on the side," Lorelai explained.  
  
"What's the difference?"  
  
"Well if the donut's separate I look like a pig eating that much, but if it's a topping." Lorelai pouted the special Gilmore pout.  
  
"Fine." Caesar walked away.  
  
"Make that two!" Rory called after him; the Gilmore's giggled.  
  
* * *  
  
Rory was walking with Lane to the Photo Hut later that day. Lorelai had decided to get the slides, but Kirk refused to do them in one hour, so she left them overnight.  
  
"So them Mama Kim asks Dave what college he's going to," Lane explained the dinner that her and Dave had had with the Kim Nazi the previous weekend, hands flailing around. "And when Dave tells her that he's not sure if he's going to go back to school this year because he wants to focus on the band for a little while, do you know what she does, Rory?  
  
Nothing. She just says that it is admirable that he is honoring his commitments like that! I mean, what! Dave and I had rehearsed ahead of time what to say when she asked that, and he was going to say he was taking a year off, which we assumed would be followed by "why don't you go to Seventh Day Advent Bible College with Lane" or something to that effect."  
  
"Weird," Rory agreed.  
  
"It all went wonky after that. We even had a reason set up for him not to go there with me; he wasn't really practicing, and that he felt he should put the band first because he committed to that first."  
  
"Ah yes," Rory said in her best wise ninja voice. "The as of yet unnamed band."  
  
"Yeah, we still have to work on that," Lane sighed. "Anyway, we thought the plan was fool proof before that curve ball she threw us. So at this point in the night, we thought, well there can't be any more surprises right? Wrong! After that, Mama turns to me and says: 'Lane, maybe you should put off college for a year as well and focus on the band, you should be committed to the things that you start'."  
  
Rory's mouth dropped open. "Was she kidding?"  
  
"Does she even know how? No, I think she was serious, which is what scares me so much. I'm not sure what to do now," Lane sighed miserably. "I would almost rather go to that school than work with her for another year."  
  
Rory thought for a moment. "Oh," she cried excitedly. "Maybe you could use this as a way to go to another school and get out of Seventh Day Hell."  
  
"Hmm," Lane considered what she was suggesting. "Maybe I could go to Connecticut State, or even Worthington. I got accepted at both of those."  
  
"Worthington's a great school," Rory added helpfully.  
  
"I'm just worried she'll get all non-verbal like she did after that party," Lane confessed  
  
"Don't worry yet," Rory soothed. "It's only June. We'll figure something out." They arrived at the Photo Hut and approached Kirk at the counter. "Hi Kirk, I'm here to pick up my mom's pictures," Rory said pulling out her wallet.  
  
"Okay, she got the slides so your total is $96.49," Kirk replied, his voice continuously monotone. Rory handed him a check that Lorelai had given her. "I'll need two pieces of ID," Kirk said. "Seriously." 


	4. Act Three

Act 3  
  
On Monday morning, Lorelai and Sookie planned on making a checklist of repairs needed on their newly acquired inn. "Rory!" Lorelai called frantically as she tore into the kitchen, shoes in hand. "Quick, which shoes?"  
  
Rory looked over her mother's outfit, a navy pantsuit, and gestured to the boots in her right hand. "Definitely the boots, you don't want to be trekking around the hotel in those heels."  
  
"That's what I was going to say," Lorelai smiled. "I was just testing you; you've learned well grasshopper."  
  
"Yes, now we both have much knowledge," Rory rolled her eyes. "Are we ready to go to Luke's?"  
  
"You bet, what are you doing today?" Lorelai slipped the boots on and grabbed her purse.  
  
"Actually, I was going to stop by the Photo Hut and talk to Manny -"  
  
"The manager?" Lorelai interrupted.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Hee hee, Manny the Manager.sorry," she chuckled.  
  
"Anyway," Rory said sternly. "Kirk said that they need another part timer at the Photo Hut, so I thought maybe I could do that while I'm not helping at the Dragonfly."  
  
"Alright, that sounds okay," Lorelai agreed. "But you know that you don't have to get a job, right? I'm not going to make you pay rent or anything."  
  
"I know, but this way I can save up some money for school and hopefully borrow less from Grandma and Grandpa."  
  
Lorelai looked about ready to comment on Rory mentioning her loan, but let it go. "Well," she said instead. "I'm hungry!"  
  
"Me too," Rory agreed. "Let's go." They drove to Luke's this time, having learned their lesson the day before. Going inside the diner, they greeted Caesar. Caesar waved and brought the coffee over.  
  
"Hey we didn't even have to ask," Lorelai beamed.  
  
"We've trained you well," Rory chimed in.  
  
"Hey, not bad," Lorelai remarked, referring to the coffee that she'd just tasted.  
  
"Well," Caesar smiled. "You may be interested to know that Luke called today." Rory looked interested and Lorelai sat up in her chair, almost nervously.  
  
Rory briefly wondered if her mother was excited over the idea of Luke's coffee, or if maybe there was another reason. She dismissed the thought quickly as Caesar continued. "He's coming back Thursday."  
  
"What?" Lorelai now looked confused. "Isn't he supposed to be on a cruise?"  
  
"Well, apparently he and Nicole decided not to go on it. They're driving back, left this morning."  
  
Caesar left and they were silent for a minute. "I hope everything's okay," Rory sounded concerned.  
  
"Me too," Lorelai sipped her coffee slowly, deep in thought.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hello?" Lorelai asked, answering her cell phone, which had just rung.  
  
"Hi Mom," Rory replied over the line. "Where are you?"  
  
"Driving to Hartford," Lorelai replied, switching lanes to pass a truck. "I have to go to Emerson's Finishing's for a price quote. What's up?"  
  
"Not much. Manny gave me the job, wants me to start tomorrow morning," Rory answered.  
  
"That's great Hun!"  
  
"Yea," Rory continued. "I'm going to go to Lane's for a while. Will you be home in time for dinner?"  
  
"Probably not," Lorelai sighed. "But there's some money in the cookie jar; but some pizza or something for you and Lane."  
  
"Okay, I'll see you later," Rory said.  
  
"Mmkay, bye Rory," Lorelai turned off her cell and took the Hartford turnoff. She pulled up to the parking spaces reserved for Emerson customers. Stepping out of the Jeep, she noticed a familiar woman coming down the walk from the Brownstone Law building.  
  
"Nicole!" Lorelai called out. Nicole stopped and looked at Lorelai, pausing to give her the chance to catch up.  
  
"Lorelai," she responded as a greeting.  
  
"Hi. What are you doing here?" Lorelai was confused. "I thought you were driving back, and getting here Thursday."  
  
"Luke is driving back, I took a flight from Vancouver," Nicole said, her tone bordering on edgy.  
  
"Is everything okay?" Lorelai asked.  
  
"Fine," Nicole said pertly. "If you must know, Luke and I are on an extended break." Nicole began to walk away.  
  
"Wait!" Lorelai cried, catching up again. "What are you talking about? Maybe I can help you out, do something maybe?"  
  
"I think you've done enough," Nicole said, all pretenses gone and now obviously annoyed.  
  
"Excuse me?" Lorelai demanded defensively.  
  
"Somehow," Nicole said, obviously blaming Lorelai for the 'how'. "Luke got it into his head that a cruise meant a serious commitment; one that he apparently wasn't willing to make. Not to me at least. I think it's best that in the future you keep your opinions about my and Luke's relationship to yourself. It's really none of your business."  
  
"Excuse me! Luke is my friend," Lorelai cried; they were now drawing stares from passers by. "It just so happens that taking a cruise as a couple in a serious step; it implies a commitment. It's not my fault that Luke isn't ready for that with you."  
  
"Yes it is, Lorelai," Nicole sighed, not really angry, but rather just upset. "Luke can't bring himself to commit to anyone - me or even Rachel - because he's always holding back on the hope that he'll get a chance with you. That maybe you'll wake up and realize that he's in love with you, and maybe you'll see him as more than just Luke the coffee guy."  
  
Lorelai was speechless for maybe the third time in her entire life. "Listen Lorelai," Nicole continued, a resigned tone in her voice. "Luke and I aren't going to happen, even if he changed his mind and wanted to try. I can't be with him, knowing that he'll always have you in the back of his mind. I deserve better, and so does he. Luke should be with someone that he really is in love with, not someone he decided to settle with."  
  
"Luke and I are just friends, Nicole," Lorelai said forcefully, unsure if she herself believed it.  
  
"If that's how you really feel Lorelai, then take my advice; if Luke is really your friend, if you really care about him, then tell him how you feel. No matter what you feel about him, let him know if it's a possibility or not, but let him know for sure. Because another woman that cares about him, and that he might care about in return, WILL come along, and I don't want him to miss out again. He's a good man, Lorelai, and deserves to settle down and build himself a family -he won't be able to do that until his issues with you are resolved."  
  
"Do you really think that Luke wants all that? A family I mean," Lorelai asked quietly. "He's made pretty vague hints about it before, in fact I've heard him say just the opposite. And I've never heard him say he wanted that with me."  
  
"I'm sure, call it noting the blatantly obvious," Nicole smiled sadly and continued at the skeptical look on Lorelai's face. "When Luke isn't ranting about Jess, or telling one of his countless stories about you and your various quirks, he's raving about Rory and how proud he is of her."  
  
"Oh, wow," Lorelai looked deep in thought. "Nicole, I really am sorry things didn't work out for you two. I know Luke wants you to be happy."  
  
"I know he does, and reason I told you this is because I want that for him too; with or without me in his life. Probably without me, with you."  
  
Lorelai nodded. "I'll think about what you said Nicole, and I promise I'll talk to Luke. one way or another."  
  
Nicole smiled. "Goodbye Lorelai," she walked away.  
  
"Goodbye Nicole," Lorelai answered softly. Her price quote now completely forgotten, she sat down on a nearby bench and stared blankly into space, deep in thought.  
  
Commercial Break. 


	5. Act FourCloser

A/N: This is the final chapter of 4.01, I have already started on 4.02 it's just a matter of finding the time to type it up (I write them at work on my breaks usually). 4.02 will be like the next episode, and I hope to do a whole season worth, half a season at least. Thanks to all of you who reviewed!!!  
  
Act 4/Closer  
  
"Mom?" Rory poked her head into Lorelai's room. "Are you up yet? Luke's coming back today, let's go to the diner."  
  
"Urgh, I'm up," she replied sleepily, then suddenly remembered the events of the past few days. She'd spent Tuesday and Wednesday thinking of little else other than what Nicole had told her.  
  
"Hurry up, I have to work in thirty minutes and I don't want to be late," Rory urged.  
  
"Go on ahead," Lorelai said. "I'll see you later."  
  
"Okay, Rory looked puzzled, but shrugged; she really didn't want to be late for work on her third day. "Bye."  
  
"Bye, Hun," Lorelai waved at her daughter's retreating form. Rory grabbed her Photo Hut vest and bounded out the front door, headed for Luke's.  
  
"Hi Caesar," she greeted him and sat down at the counter.  
  
"Just you today?" Caesar looked confused at seeing only one half of the Gilmore Duo.  
  
"Mom's being lazy, she'll be here later though," Rory explained. "Can I get coffee and pancakes?"  
  
"Sure, coming right up," Caesar went in the back to make them for her. He returned a few minutes later, plate in hand. "Do you want a refill?"  
  
"Of course," Rory cried with him, holding up her cup. Caesar smiled and refilled her cup. "Thank you."  
  
"You know," said a familiar voice from behind her. "That stuff will kill you one day."  
  
"Luke!" Rory smiled at him as he set his bags down. She jumped up and gave him a quick hug, which he returned slightly awkwardly. "You're back! How was your trip?"  
  
"Had it's good moments," Luke shrugged, she began to eat her pancakes and looked at him to continue. He cleared his throat uncomfortably, feeling weird explaining his breakup with Nicole to Rory. She seemed to get the hint, smart kid that she was, and gestured to the stool beside her. Luke sat down and grabbed himself a muffin. "How was Europe?"  
  
Rory made a delighted squeaky sound. "It was great! Oh Luke, you would have loved it.. probably. I mean there were lots of people, which you'd hate," Luke smiled. "But the sights were just great. I tell you, you haven't lived until you've seen my mother try to argue in five different languages."  
  
They both laughed. "So you had fun? That's good," he smiled.  
  
"We had a great time. Oh and we got you some great souvenirs! When we were in Paris, there was this little café called "Luke", with a cute coffee and baguette sign. Mom argued with the owner for an hour to sell it to her; he finally gave it to us for free to get rid of her. Don't be surprised if it shows up around here in the next few days.  
I got you some stuff too, shirts and hats mostly.Mom got you this Eiffel Tower pen so that you always have a pen on you when she needs one," Rory smiled. "You should come over tonight and pick everything up."  
  
"You didn't have to get me so much stuff," Luke sounded embarrassed, but Rory knew that he was secretly pleased that they thought of him. As if they wouldn't, she thought.  
  
"Well, we figured that you'd have more room to store stuff, now that Jess." Rory trailed off uncomfortably. She cleared her throat. "Well, now that you have more room." She looked at her watch. "I should go to work."  
  
"Work?" Luke looked confused. "How long was I gone?"  
  
"Not long, I'm doing a few shifts a week at the Photo Hut. Extra money for school," Rory replied. "I'm going to get going. Don't forget to come over later." Luke nodded. "I'll cook. which is my fancy way of saying that I'll call for pizza and get vegetables on half of it."  
  
"Bye Rory," he laughed slightly. She handed Caesar some money and left, waving at them as she went.  
  
Luke smiled slightly at her coffee induced energy and quickly finished his muffin. He got up and reached down to get his bags when the door opening caught his attention. Luke stood straight up and smiled. "Hey," he greeted.  
  
"Hi," Lorelai replied, entering the diner. "Welcome back." She gave him a quick hug, which was uncomfortable for the both of them, for the same reason.  
  
Outside the diner, Rory glanced through the window and saw Luke and Lorelai sit down together at the counter. She watched as her mother began talking animatedly, waving her arms, and Luke smiling and laughing along at her antics. She swore that she saw her mother do the hair twirl.  
  
Rory looked thoughtful for a moment, then realization dawned and a smile spread across her face.  
  
End.  
  
Next time on Gilmore Girls.  
  
Lane approaches her mother. "Mama, I've decided what to do about school, I'm going to Worthington."  
  
"Would you be one of my bridesmaids?" Lindsay asks Rory. Rory looks surprised.  
  
"Well, Lorelai," Emily asks from her place on the Gilmore couch. "How do you feel about this Luke man?" Lorelai looks thoughtful. 


End file.
